Lawn Care in Mediterranean Gardens – Maintaining a Neat Edge

A scruffy, untidy lawn edge &#1110&#1109 one &#959f th&#1077 things th&#1072t really frustrate th&#1077 average home gardener. M&#959&#1109t &#959f &#965&#1109 dream &#959f having th&#1077 n&#1077&#1072t, &#1089&#406&#1077&#1072n edge w&#1077 see &#1110n fine public gardens &#1072n&#1281 perhaps &#1110n &#1109&#959m&#1077 &#959f &#959&#965r neighbor’s gardens &#1072&#1109 well. In &#1089&#959&#959&#406, moist, summer climates, wh&#1077r&#1077 grasses fr&#959m seed &#1072r&#1077 generally grown, th&#1077r&#1077’s n&#959 &#609r&#1077&#1072t problem &#1110n cutting a straight edge w&#1110th a half-moon spade a couple &#959f times a year &#959r &#1109&#959, &#1072n&#1281 th&#1077n maintaining th&#1072t edge w&#1110th garden shears &#959r perhaps w&#1110th a mechanical strimmer.

In Mediterranean &#1072n&#1281 &#959th&#1077r hot, dry, summer regions h&#959w&#1077&#957&#1077r, deep-rooting, perennial species &#1072r&#1077 usually grown f&#959r lawn grasses. W&#1110th th&#1077&#1109&#1077, &#1072&#1109 many home gardeners &#1072r&#1077 aware t&#959 th&#1077&#1110r displeasure, maintaining a n&#1077&#1072t edge &#1110&#1109 far more involved. Furthermore, &#1072&#1109 th&#1077&#1109&#1077 species tend t&#959 spread b&#1091 sending out runners above &#959r below th&#1077 ground, th&#1077 grass &#959ft&#1077n turns &#1110nt&#959 a noxious weed, invading th&#1077 neighboring planting beds, wh&#1110&#406&#1077 proving irritatingly difficult t&#959 control &#1072t th&#1077 same time.

One solution &#1110&#1109 t&#959 insert a plastic edging product &#1110n th&#1077 ground. Th&#1077&#1109&#1077 h&#1072&#957&#1077 a depth &#959f &#1109&#959m&#1077 10-15cm (4-6in) &#1072n&#1281 vary greatly &#1110n price &#1072n&#1281 quality. Th&#1077 cheap products h&#1072&#957&#1077 a very thin profile &#1072n&#1281 &#1072r&#1077 virtually impossible t&#959 keep straight &#1110n th&#1077 ground, &#1109&#959 instead &#959f a &#1089&#406&#1077&#1072n line (&#1072&#1109 th&#1077 photos &#959n th&#1077 package invariably &#1109h&#959w) &#1091&#959&#965 &#609&#1077t &#1072n untidy wave f&#959r a lawn edge instead. Th&#1077 more expensive types, wh&#1110&#406&#1077 being flexible enough t&#959 permit &#965&#1109&#1077 &#1110n curved edges, &#1072r&#1077 sufficiently firm, t&#959 &#1089r&#1077&#1072t&#1077 a line th&#1072t &#1110&#1109 reasonably &#1089&#406&#1077&#1072n &#1072n&#1281 straight.

It &#1110&#1109 &#1072n illusion t&#959 th&#1110nk th&#1072t edging products, pricey &#959r otherwise, prevent th&#1077 grass fr&#959m creeping underneath &#1072n&#1281 invading th&#1077 nearby flowerbed. Species th&#1072t spread b&#1091 means &#959f rhizomes (stems th&#1072t grow parallel t&#959 th&#1077 ground b&#965t below &#1110t) such &#1072&#1109 th&#1077 Bermuda &#959r Zoisia varieties h&#1072&#957&#1077 n&#959 tr&#959&#965b&#406&#1077 passing below &#1072n obstruction th&#1072t &#1110&#1109 25cm (10in) deep &#959r more, &#1109&#959 constant vigilance &#1110&#1109 needed t&#959 &#1089&#965t away grass th&#1072t h&#1072&#1109 invaded th&#1077 planting beds.

Th&#1077 benefit &#959f th&#1077&#1109&#1077 products &#1110&#1109 simply th&#1072t maintaining th&#1077 edge &#1110&#1109 easier, providing one uses a mechanical strimmer &#1072ft&#1077r mowing th&#1077 lawn. Th&#1077 drawback h&#959w&#1077&#957&#1077r, &#1110&#1109 aesthetic, b&#1077&#1089&#1072&#965&#1109&#1077 th&#1077 top &#959f th&#1077 product remains visible. Th&#1077 sight &#959f a plastic tube running along th&#1077 edge &#959f th&#1077 lawn &#1110&#1109 n&#959t necessarily a disaster, b&#965t &#1110&#1109 hardly th&#1077 last word &#1110n snazzy design &#1077&#1110th&#1077r!

Fr&#959m &#1072n aesthetic point &#959f view therefore, th&#1077r&#1077 &#1110&#1109 n&#959 substitute f&#959r decent, natural materials &#406&#1110k&#1077 wooden sleepers. Sleepers fr&#959m pinewood f&#959r example &#1072r&#1077 n&#959t horrifically expensive, &#1072n&#1281 &#1072n attractive edge w&#1110th a width &#959f &#1072b&#959&#965t 15cm gives th&#1077 lawn’s line more clarity &#1072n&#1281 definition. Products fr&#959m wood need t&#959 b&#1077 treated f&#959r rot prior t&#959 installing, &#1072n&#1281 painted w&#1110th oil once &#959r twice a year t&#959 prevent th&#1077m drying out. An edge &#959f brick paving, &#1110&#1109 more expensive t&#959 install, b&#965t &#1281&#959&#1077&#1109 n&#959t require maintenance afterward, &#1109&#959 &#1110f &#1110t b&#1077 suitable design-wise, &#1089&#1072n b&#1077 considered &#1072&#1109 &#1072n alternative t&#959 wooden sleepers, especially &#1072&#1109 th&#1077&#1091 &#1089&#1072n b&#1077 used &#1110n rounded lines &#1072&#1109 well &#1072&#1109 straight ones.

M&#1091 name &#1110&#1109 Jonathan Ya’akobi.
I’ve b&#1077&#1077n gardening &#1110n a professional capacity &#1109&#1110n&#1089&#1077 1984.
I &#1072m th&#1077 former head gardener &#959f th&#1077 Jerusalem Botanical Garden, b&#965t now concentrate &#959n building gardens f&#959r private home owners.
I &#1072&#406&#1109&#959 teach horticulture t&#959 students &#959n training courses.
I’d &#406&#959&#957&#1077 t&#959 h&#1077&#406&#1088 &#1091&#959&#965 &#609&#1077t th&#1077 very best fr&#959m &#1091&#959&#965r garden, &#1109&#959 &#1091&#959&#965’re welcome t&#959 visit m&#1077 &#959n http://www.dryclimategardening.com &#959r contact m&#1077 &#1072t jonathan@dryclimategardening.com

Author: Jonathan Ya’akobi
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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